Signal-actuating mechanism.



H. P. RYNER.

SIGNAL ACTUATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, I9l5.

1,1 65,540. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. II. I9I5.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH cu. WASHINGTON, D c.

SATg' T prion.

HlJBER'I P. RYNER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO HOESCHEN MANUFAC- V TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. V

i invention relates to mechanlsm for actuating railway-crossing"signals, and par' ticularly to signal-actuating mechanism employlng a mechanicalenergy-storing device,

7 such asa spring motor, operatively connected with the signal mechanism, and having suitable meansfor controlling the operation of the energy-storing device.

It is the object of my invention to provide, in combination with mechanism of the described character, electrically actuated meansfor winding the spring-motor, or supplying the primaryenergy to a like energystoring device, said electricallyactuated means being controlled by the operation of the signal mechanism so that the winding of the motor is automatically proportioned to the duration of operation of the signals.

Constructions embodying my invention areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the motor and its controlling and Winding mechanism, Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, Fig. 8 is a side view, partly in section, showing a characteristic arrangement of the signal'mechanism, Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the plane of the line -00 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a detail side view of a part of the controllingmechanism, Fig. 6 is a detail front view of parts of the controlling mechanism, and Fig. 7 is a diagram of the electrical connections of the apparatus. a

. In carrying out my invention I preferably employ a motor and controlling mechanism therefor of the. general character shown in the'patent application of Henry A. Hoes chen, filed Dec. 13,; 1911,, Serial No. 665,575;

and signaling mechanism? of the general character shown in the patent application of Henry A. Hoeschen, filed March 7, 1913, Serial No. 752,762. I have herein illus- "trated and will describe-such portions of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1915.

in the county of Douglas and State SIGNAL-ACTUA'IING MECHANISM.

PatentedDec. 28, 1915. Serial No. 13,797.

said motor-controlling'and signaling mechanism as are pertinent to my invention, but it will be understood that such mechanism, in so far as it embodies the subject-matter of the applications above set forth, is the inventionof the said Henry A. Hoeschen and is 'disclaimed by me except as a part of the combined structures herein set forth, or as an element of the claimed. i

I In the arrangement of the signal mechanism shown in Fig. 3 there is erected, at or near the railway crossing to be protected, a suitable supporting column 1 which carries a casing 2 inclosing the actuating mechanism. From the upper part of the casing a tubular column-portion 3 extendsupand supports the signal devices. The latter comprise a swingable bell 4 inclosed within acage 5 under a canopy 6, and a swinging arm 7 disposed outside the cage, as shown. Both the bell and arm 7 are actuated by a rod 8 which extends up through the columnportion 3 and to which a reciprocating movement is imparted by the means hereinafter described.

Within the casing 2 is a suitable frame'9 in which is journaled the horizontal motorshaft 10. On said shaft is carried the esoscillating movement of the beam about its pivotal axis. Theflrod 8 is connected with one end of the verge-beam and its reciprocating movement is received from the beam. On the side of the escape-wheel is carried one or more small rollers 16 adapted to engage a stop-block 17 which is pivotally connected with the frame by meansof a shaft 18 journaled in the front frame-plate. On the front end of the shaft 18 is secured the stop-arm 19 which extends upwardly therefrom, the upperend ofthe armbeing adaptedto engage a latch 20 pivoted on the frame as shownin 1. The Weight of the stopblock tends to move .the arm to a position at whichit will be engaged and held by the latch. l/Vhen the arm is so held, the. stop- 1 latch.

that the rollers 16 cannot pass it.

and arm passing momentarily to the positlons shown by dotted lines n Fig, 6, so

that the rollers can pass beneath the block,

and the escape-wheel revolve in the direc-,

tion indicated. After the roller passes out of engagement with the stop-block the latter will move back toward its normal or initial position, from so doing, will reengage the latch so that when the block is again engaged by one of the rollers the movement of the escape wheel will be stopped. For liftingthe latch 20 to release thestop-arm and permit operation ofthezsignals, one or moreelectromagnets 21 areprovided, eachhaving a movable armature 22 of which a portion extends beneath the headof a pin 23 on the Said .electromagnets 21 are connected in a circuit or circuits controlled by movement .of trains along the railway track toward the crossing at which the signal mechanism "is placed, such circuits usually being arranged so that one of the magnets willbe energized whenever a train approaches to within a predetermined distance from the crossing.

For holding the stop-arm temporarily in release'position, a drop-lever 24 is pivoted on the-frame as shown. When the stop-arm returns toward normal position, after being moved to release position, a shoulder on the lower edge of the lever 24 is engaged by a pin 25 on-the rearward side of the arm, and thus preventsreturn movement of the arm far enough to enable its engagement by the latch 20. The operation of the signals will thus continue until the drop-lever is raised to disengage the shoulder from the pin125 and thus permit return of the stop-arm to normal posltlon and engagement with the latch 20. The drop-lever may be raised to free the stop-arm therefrom, by energization of'an electromagnet 26, whose armature'27 is connected with the lever as shown. The drop-lever mayalso be ralsed by means of a timing device which is adapted to actuate the lever after'the signals have been in op- .erationfor a predetermined time. A toothed rack-bar 28 is held slidably in a slightly in-- clined position by suitable guides on the front side of the frame, the lower-portion of the rack-bar extending adjacent to the front end of the motor-shaft 10. On said end of the shaft is a small disk carrying a pin '29.

which is adapted to engage the teeth on the bar, and intermittentlylift the bar. as the shaft revolves. A pawl 30, pivoted on the frame as shown, is adaptedxto engage the. teethon therack-bar toiretain the same'in; the successivepositionsto which it may be,

and the stop-arm, if not prevented raised by the rotation of the motOr shaft.

The, pawl 30 is engageable by a tail-portion V r 31 on the stop-arm, and istherebyheld out of engagement with the rack-bar when the stop-arm is in normal position, but when the stop-arm is in release position the pawl falls into engagement with the rac k-bar "and pre vents downward movement'thereot. The

upper end of the rack-barextendsv toward the end of the drop-lever, and after the rackbar has been moved upward far enough to engage it the drop-lever is. thereby lifted to free the stop-arm. The stop-arm then moves,

to normal position, being there engaged and held by the latch 20, the tail-portion 31 dis-" engages the pawl fronitherack-banso that the same can fall ibackto its lowerfpo= sition, and allthe parts are thus restored to stopping of the motor-shaft. i

inner end is, connected 1directly with the shaft, as shown in Fig. 4. The spring is-in-- closed, within a dru1'nor-casing33 which is secured on one side of aIratche-t-wheel84,

said wheel being revolubly mountedonthe,

shaft, and the outerend'of the spring being connected with a. pin35 on the side of the wheel within the inclosing drum. A" pawl 36 mounted on the shaft 13 engages the ratchet-wheel 'to prevent retrograde move ment thereof. Adjoining the rearward side of the ratchet-wheel an arm 37 is pivoted on the motor-shaft, said armextending out beyond the periphery of the wheel'and having.

pivotedon the outer end a pawl 38 which engages the toothed edgeof th'ewheel, Said outer end of the pawl-armisconnsctsd by a rod 39 with the end of an armaturerlever .40.

which is ,fulcrumedon. a shaft 41. extending horizontally between-the frame-plates. The

' lever 40 carries an armature 42 whiclris, po-

sitioned beneath the poles. of an electromag net 43 so as to be pulled upwardly whensaid electromagnet is energized. On one end of the verge-beam 12 a contact-arm 44 is securedthereto, being insulatedtherefrom but movable as1a part thereof. Arcuate contact plates 45 and 46 are mounted on projecting lugs 47 on the frame, said contact-plates being insulated from the frame and being positioned adjacent to the pathof movement.

of the outer end of the contact-arm44-so as to be alternately engaged thereby during the oscillating movements of the verge-beam. Between the adjacentends of the contactits plates45 and 46 there is a space or ga a-and,"

when the verge-beam isin the normal ost tion' assumed whenrotation of the escapewheel is prevented by thestop-block, the end rot-the contact-arm44is-opposite said gap and out. of contact with. both the plates 45 and46. The contact-platesare connectedby wlres 48 with one sideof; a su'itablebatteryl mantras or'ele'ctrical"generator 51; from the other side ofsaid generator a connection 49 is extended to the electromagnet 43, and from the" electromagnet a connection 50 .is extended to the contact-arm 44, as represented From Fig. 7 it will be seen that-the circuit through the electromagnet '43 is normally open, so that said magnet is 'notenergized,

but that immediately upon commencement of operation of the signal mechanism the circuit will be closed by the engagement of the arm 44 with one of the contact-plates 45 and 46. The magnet, being thus energized, raises the armature-lever 40 and pawl-arm 37, thereby advancing the ratchet-wheel 34 and increasing the tension of the motorspring 32. As the oscillatory movement of the verge-beam is continued the circuit is broken each time the contact-arm passes the gap between the adjacent ends of the contact-plates, the. armature-lever and pawlarm being thereby permitted to drop down to their normal or initial position, but being immediately pulled up again as the circuit is reestablished. The winding of the motorspring 32 is thus automatically proportioned to the duration of operation of the oscillating signal mechanism.

In connection with the foregoing mechanism there is provided, at the railway crossing near which the signal mechanism is placed, a suitable track instrument A (indicated in Fig. 3) adapted to operate a switch or circuit-closing device when a train passes over the track at the crossing. The electrical connections of the track instrument are indicated in Fig. 7. The circuit-closing device 52 is connected in series with the battery or generator 51 and the electromagnet 26, by means of wires 53 and 54 which, in practice, are extended from the track-instrument to the signal mechanism through a pipe or conduit B, as shown in Fig. 3. The circuit through the magnet .26 is normally open at the device 52, but is closed during the passage of a train over the ti'acleinstrument, so that th magnet is then energized and raises the drop-lever 24, thereby stopping the operation of the signal mechanism which will have been previously started into operation by the approach of the train to the crossing. N ow, havmg descrlbed my 1nvent1on, wha I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a signaling mechanism, a mechanical energy-storing device, signal-actuating elements connected therewith to be driven thereby, means for controlling said elements, electrically actuated means for supplying energy to said energy-storing device, a circuit controlling said electrically-actuated means, and means connected with the signalactuating elements and controlling said circuitto automatically proportion the energ supply of the storing device to the rate of operation of the'signals.

2. In a signaling mechanism, a motorspring, signal-actuating devices connected therewith to be driven therefrom, means for controlling movement of said devices, electrically-actuated winding-means for the moj tor-spring, and means connected with the slgnal-actuatmg devices and controlllng said Winding-means to cause operation thereof simultaneously with operation of the signals.

3. In a signaling mechanism, a motorspring, an oscillating signal-actuating element movable thereby, means for controlling movement of the motor, electrical winding-means for the motor-springs, a winding-circuit, and controlling means connected with the oscillating signal-actuating element and adapted to close the winding-circuit only during periods of movement of said element.

4. In a signaling mechanism, a springmotor, a signal-actuating element movable thereby, means for stopping the motor to retain said element at a fixed normal position, electrically-driven windingmeans for the spring-motor, and a circuit-controlling device for said winding means, said circuitcontrolling device being connected with the signal-actuating element and opening the circuit when said element is in normal position.

5. In a signaling mechanism, the combination with a motor-spring, an escape-wheel driven thereby, a verge-beam actuated by said escape-wheel, a stop for said wheel adapted to hold the same at a position for retaining the verge-beam in a normal fixed position, and means for controlling the stop, of oscillatory winding-means for the motor-spring, an electromagnet for actuating said Winding-means, a winding-circuit for said electromagnet, and a circuitcontroller in said circuit and connected with the verge-beam so as to be closed when the beam moves from normal position.

6. In a signal mechanism, a motor-sprin means for holding the same under tension, reciprocating means for increasing the tension of the spring, an electromagnet for actuating said reciprocating means, an electrical circuit formed through said electromagnet, a circuit-controller for said circuit, and signal-actuating means driven by the motorspring and connected with the circuit controller to operate the same synchronously with the signals.

7. In a signal mechanism a motor-spring, winding means therefor, electrical actuating means for the winding means, a circuit controlling said actuating means, an element connected in said circuit and having a normal fixed position at which the circuit is opened thereby, a signal-actuating member In testimony whereof I have hereunto cqnnected with ,said element for movingihe subscfibed my name the presence of two same fr m normal positionto vclose the circuit simultaneously with movement of the witnesses. s1gna1,anglmeans operatlvely connectmgthe j -m0t 0r-Spr1ng and s gnalmctuatmg member Xgvltnesses D. O. BARNELL;

whergby the latter may be actuatgd by the A. JAMIESON.

spring.

fiobies of this pate ntmgy b e obtgin ed for fivescents each, by aqdress ing the Gmhmi ssiq he r of rfaitnts Washingtqn, 11C. 

